lambert



c. w. LAMBERT 2,185,509

TOY

Filed Oct. 12, 1938 Jan. 2, 1940.

3 Sheet-Sheet l Q2 44 f gc ma JMO/ZW Jan. 2, 1940 c. w. LAMBERT TOY 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 001:. 12, 1938 VIIIIIIIIIII Jan. 2, 1940- c. w. LAMBERT TOY Fild Oct. 12, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Jan. 2, 1940 UNITED STATES eTEN'r cries Application October 12, 1938, Serial No.u23 4,714

6 Claims.

This invention relates to toys and has for an object to provide a toy which may be convertible into a sled or into a wheeled vehicle as desired.

A further object is to provide novel brackets e for assembling a wheel and a sled runner perv pendicular to each other and mounting the same to pivot about a horizontal axis so as to dispose either the wheel or the runner in contact with the ground. I

A further object is to provide apparatus of this type which will be formed of a few strong simple and durable parts, which will be inexpensive to manufacture, and which will not easily get out of order.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification,

Figure l is a side elevation of a toy constructed in accordance with the invention drawn to reduced scale.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the toy shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail cross sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1 showing one of the front wheel and runner assembles.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Figure 3 but showing the runner in ground engaging position instead of the wheel.

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure Z-showing the rear runner and wheel assembly of the toy.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary detail view showing the runner of Figure 6 in ground engaging posi tion and the wheels elevated.

Figure 8 is a front elevation of a modified form of front wheel and runner assembly showing the steering knuckle and locking bar for locking the wheel in elevated position.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary detail view showing the runner of Figure 8 in ground engaging posi- 50 tion.

/ 55 shown in Figure 8.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the parts shown in Figure 10 and showing the locking bolt for holding the wheel in ground engaging position.

Figure 12 is a detail perspective view of the knee action bar which carries the springs for permitting rocking movement of the sled runner to ride over obstructions.

Figure 13 is another modified form of bracket for mounting a wheel and runner in unit assembly.

Figure 14 is a front elevation of one of the front wheel and runner assemblies of a four wheel toy instead of the three wheel toy shown in Figure l.

Figure 15 is a front elevation similar to Fig-. ure 14 but showing the runner in ground contacting position.

Figure 16 is a front elevation of one of the rear wheel and runner assemblies showing the runner in ground engaging position.

Figure 17 is a detail longitudinal sectional view showing one of the axles reinforced at the end with a metallic cup. I

Referring now to the drawings in which like characters of reference designate similar parts in the various views, l0 designates the, body of the toy and the same may be of any shape desired, in the present embodiment being shown as a flat board provided with lateral wings EL, Longitudinal braces I2 are disposed uponv the bottom face of the body and transverse braces 83 are disposed upon the bottom of the longi tudinal braces. A front axle I4 is rigidly secured to one of the transverse braces 53 for carrying the dirigible front wheel and runner assemblies, as best shown in Figure '3, and a longitudinally extending bar i is secured to the transverse braces and to the body iii and carries the single rear wheel and sled runner assembly, as best shown in Figure 6.

Referring to Figures 3, 4 and 5 each front wheel and sled runner assembly comprises a bracket it which is provided at the upperend with spaced arms I! which are secured to a plate It, of the general shape shown in Figure 12, through the medium of bolts 89. The plate is provided with hinge ears 2% between which hinge ears 2! carried by a runner 22, are interposed. A pivot pin 23 is passed through the ears 20 and 2!. As best shown in Figure 5 helical springs 24 are interposed between the ends of the plate It and the sled runner to permit the sled runner yielding on the pivot pin 23 to pass over obstructions.

A shaft 25 is journaled in a bearing 26 formed on the lower end of the bracket and is equipped with a ground wheel 21. The ground wheel 21 extends perpendicular to the sled runner 22.

As best shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5 the bracket is provided with a pair of hinge ears 28 which receive between them a hinge ear 29 carried by a plate 35), shown best in Figure 4:, which is provided with steering knuckle ears 3| which receive the axle I l and is pivotally connected to the axle by a vertically disposed pivot pin 32.

A pivot pin 33 is passed through the hinge ears 28 of the bracket and through the hinge ear 29 of the plate 30 to pivotally mount the wheel and runner assembly on the axle so that either the wheel or the runner may be swung into contact with the ground.

A steering arm 34 is formed integral with the lower ear 3i and is connected by a link 35 to the column 35 of the handle bars 31, best shown in Figures 1 and 2.

For locking the runner in raised position the bracket I6 is provided with ears 38 which receive between them a lug 33 carried by the upper steering knuckle ear ii. A bolt M3 is passed through the ears and the lug to lock the runner in released position underneath the respective wing ii! of the body.

For locking the wheel in raised position when the runner is in use, a nut ll is threaded on the shaft 38 of the ground wheel. The shaft is received in the bifurcated end of a locking arm 52 which is bolted to the lower steering knuckle ear 3!, as shown at 43, when the ground wheel is rocked to released position. The nut M may then be tightened to hold the ground wheel in released position.

As best shown in Figure 6, a pair of ground wheels .4 are mounted on a short axle 65 which is journaled in the arms 45 of a bracket ll. The bracket is pivotally connected to swing on a horizontal pivot pin 48 carried by a pair of ears 4-9 which depend from a base plate 58 which is secured to the beforementioned bar 55 of the body as shown at 5|. The bracket ll is provided on one side with a plate 52 to which is bolted a plate 53 similar to the plate shown in Figure 12 and having cars 54 to which the hinge ears 55 carried by a runner 5B, are secured. Helical springs 57 are mounted at the ends of the runner below the ends of the plate 53 to permit the runner to ride over obstructions. When the ground wheels M are in use the runner 56 is raised to the horizontal. For locking the runner in this position a bolt 58 is passed through one of the ears of the plate 53 and through an opening in the beforementioned base plate 59.

When the runner is to be used the ground wheels are swung up to the horizontal and locked in this position by interchanging the bolt 58 in an opening 59 in one of the branches 46 and in an opening 661 in the base plate 56.

Figures 8, 9, 10 and 11 illustrate a modified form of the invention in which four wheel and runner assemblies are secured to respective front and rear axles BI and 62 suspended from longitudinal braces 53 which depend from the body 8% of the toy.

The dirigible wheel and runner assembly is shown in Figure 8 to comprise an inverted L- shaped bracket E5 which is pivotally connected by a pivot pin 66 to a hinge ear 6? which is formed integral with a steering knuckle G8 which is pivotally connected to a bracket 69 on the end of the axle 6! by a pivot pin 10.

A ground wheel H is provided with a shaft 12 which is journaled in a bearing 13 onthe end of the long arm of the bracket 65.

For locking the ground wheel in operative position, the bracket is provided with an ear 14. A bolt i5 is passed through the ear and through the steering arm 18 of the steering knuckle tolock the wheel in contact with the ground and to lock the runner H in released position.

The runner is similar to the runner heretofore described and is provided with hinge ears 18 which are connected by a pivot pin 19 to hinge ears carried by a plate 8| which is fixed to the bracket $5. Springs 82 are interposed between theears of the runner and the bracket 3| to permit the runner riding over obstructions.

The runner is locked in ground contacting position through the medium of a locking arm 83 which is secured to the pivot bolt 10 of the steering knuckle and is bifurcated at the end to receive the reduced end 84 of the shaft 12 ofthe ground wheel. A nut 85 is carried by the shaft and is tightened against the locking arm to hold the ground wheel elevated and to hold the runner in ground contacting position. v

The rear wheel and runner assembly is shown in Figure 10 to comprise an inverted L-shaped bracket 85 similar to the bracket of the front dirigible wheel and runner assembly. The long armof the bracketis equipped with a ground engaging wheel 81. The short arm of the bracket is of channel construction as best shown in Figure 11. A pivot pin 88 is passed through the sides of the channel of the short arm and through an ear 89 which projects from a bracket 90 carried by the rear axle 62. A locking bolt 9| is passed through the web of the short arm of the v bracket and into an opening in the bracket 90' to hold the ground wheel in contact with the ground and hold the runner 92 raised.

The runner 92 and its'connection with the bracket 36 are the same as heretofore described, springs 93 being interposed between the ends of the runner and the ends of the plate 84 similar to the plate I8, shown in Figure 12, carried by the long arm of the bracket 86.. For holding the assembly shown in Figure 14, comprises a bracket 98 which is provided with an integral bearing 99 for the shaft of the ground wheel I an. The bracket is provided with steering knuckle ears I!!! which receive the front axle Hi2 and through which a pivot pin N33 is passed. The steering arm HM is bolted to the bracket.

The runner IE5 is provided with springs I06 to permit the runner riding over obstructions and the springs are interposed between the runner and the plate Hi? which carries hinge ears.

W3. A pivot pin N39 is passed through. these hinge ears and through the lower end of the bracket 98 to hingedly mount the runner to swing in a vertical plane on the bracket.

For locking the runner in released position a locking arm H8 is connected to the steering knuckle bolt H33 and is secured to the runner by a bolt Ill.

For locking the runner in ground contacting position, in which position the ground wheel I00 is raised vertically 'from the ground, an angle iron bracket II 2 is secured to the steering knuckle bolt I03 and is bolted to the hinge ears I08 of the runneras shown a-t H3.

The rear wheel and runner assembly of this modified form of the invention is shown in Figure 16 to comprise a bracket IM' similar to the bracket 98 with the exception that the steering arm I04 is dispensed with and the ears N5 of the bracket are fixedly secured to the end of the axle m5 through the ins-trumentality of a bolt H6 and a screw III. The runner H8 is pivotally mounted to swing in'a vertical plane on a pivot pin H9 carried by the bracket H4. The runner is secured in. ground contacting position through the medium of an angle iron bracket I20 which is secured to the bolt I Iii and is bolted to the hinge ear IZI of the bracket, as shown at 122.

As shown in Figure 17 the ends of the axles I23 may be provided :with metal caps I24 to receive the steeringknuckle bolts or other bolts. A simplified form of bracket I25 is shown in Figure 13, this form of bracket being provided at the lower end with a bearing I25 to receive the shaft of a ground wheel. The bracket is provided centrally with hinge ears I21 to receive a pivot pin through which the unitary assembly of ground Wheel and runner may be swung upon .the pivot pin in a vertical plane as described in connection with the form of the invention shown in Figure 3. The upper end of the bracket is provided with ears I28 to receive the hinge cars 20 of the plate I8 for attaching the runner to the assembly.

From the above description it is thought that the construction and operation of the invention will be fully understood without further explanation.

What is claimed is:

1. In a toy, a body, brackets connected to the body, aground wheel and a sled runner carried by each bracket said ground wheel and said run ner being perpendicular toeach other, means mounting the bracket to swing upon a horizontal pivot to selectively present the ground wheel or runner to the ground, and means for locking the bracket to hold the ground Wheel or the runner in ground contacting position.

2. In a toy, a body, a bracket pivotally connected to the body to-swing about a horizontal pivot, a steering knuckle connection between the bracket and the body, aground wheel and a sled. runner carried by the bracket perpendicular to each other, an ear carried by said steering knuckle, an ear carried by the bracket, a locking bolt adapted to be engaged through both of said ears to hold the runner raised and to hold the wheel in ground contacting position, an arm projecting from said steering knuckle, and means carried by the bracket engageable with said arm I to hold the wheel raised and to hold the runner in ground contacting position.

3. In a toy, a body, a bracket pivotally connected to the body to swing about a horizontal pivot, a plate carried by the bracket at one end thereof, a runner hinged to the plate, springs on opposite sides of the hinge of the runner engaging the runner and the plate to permit the runner to yield over obstructions, a shaft carried by the other end of the bracket, a ground wheel on the shaft, means for locking the runner raised and the ground wheel in engagement with the ground and means for locking the ground wheel raised and the runner in contact with the ground. c

4. In a toy, a body, an axle on the front end of the body, steering knuckles on the ends of the axle, a bracket pivotally connected to swing upon a horizontal pivoton each steering knuckle, a ground Wheel and a sled runner carried by each bracket said ground wheel and said runner being perpendicular to each other, and means for supporting the rear end of the body.

5. In a toy, a body, means for supporting the front end of the body, and a combined sled runner and ground wheel assembly for supporting the rear end of the body, comprising a, bracket adapted to be secured to the body, a ground wheel carried by the bracket, a sled runner carried by the bracket, means for mounting the bracket to swing about a horizontal pivot on the body to selectively present either the ground wheel or the sled runner in engagement with the ground, and means for locking the ground wheel and the sled runner in operative position- 6. In a toy, a body, hinge ears on the body, a bracket having hinge ears engaged with the body hinge ears and having a web, a projection on the body between the body hinge ears, a bolt detachably engaged through said web and through said projection to hold the bracket at one limit of its pivotal movement, a ground wheel carried by one end of said bracket, a sled runner carried by the other end of said bracket and disposed at a right angle to said ground wheel a bifurcated arm carried by said cbody, a shaft for the ground wheel having a threaded end, said shaft being receivable in the arm, and a nut on said threaded end engageable with said arm for locking the bracket at its other'limit of pivotal movement.

, CHARLES W. LAMBERT. 

